Treasure
by ShirahimeSenpai
Summary: Nick Midnight is a high school girl who's a victim of fierce bullying regarding her appearance and name. On one rainy day she falls into Wonderland and hopes to start a new life. Will she ever find anyone who will accept her for who she is, or will the vicious cycle begin again? Mary Gowland x Original Character
1. Welcome to Wonderful Wonder World

**Title:** Treasure

**Rating: **T

**Summary:** Nick Midnight is a high school girl who's a victim of fierce bullying regarding her appearance and name. On one rainy day she falls into Wonderland and hopes to start a new life. Will she ever find anyone who will accept her for who she is, or will the vicious cycle begin again? Mary Gowland x Original Character

**A/N's:** I picked the title of this story while I was listening to the radio and heard the new song by Bruno Mars, "Treasure". I think it fits Midnight's self-esteem issues and the theme of the fanfic in general. Anyways, I hope you readers enjoy - Gowland gets no love whatsoever. Honestly, he's not a bad guy! Maybe a bit old and deaf, but…

Please read and review! I would like to get suggestions for which of the in-game events should occur in this: Anniversary or Joker (like the festival, I know he doesn't have an actual route in Joker and he's just a lovely ossan), please. I like to have reader input to make sure you all enjoy what you're reading. Here's a preemptive: Thanks a whole bunch!

By the way, in honor of my finishing this year of school and the start of summer, I should be updating this particular fanfiction every Wednesday.

Chapter One: Welcome to Wonderful Wonder World!

The laughter rings out as I walk through my school's narrow and dirty halls. I know what it's for, and who it's directed to, but I pretend not to notice and not to hear the annoying, shrill squakings. The click of my heeled black boots is the only sound I focus on as I make my way through the crowd and to my next class. Boisterous, insulting comments reach my ears as I pass by the cliques, young sluts bitching and steroided jocks mocking; honestly, if there was any other way to get to class, I would take it, but to my avail this was the only route. This daily routine I experience is less than friendly, less than pleasant, and most definitely less than kind. Finally, I reach my destination as the warning bell sounds and I sigh, knowing I was free of the torture for another hour or so, knowing that the peace that I obtain will only ever be temporary.

_~|TREASURE|~_

My Advanced Placement courses, my honors courses, in every class I take I don't even have to try: everything comes so naturally to me. I have an affinity to math, and partnered with my talent for music - for the viola and the piano - my skill set reaches a wide range of careers. In those few and fleeting opportunities of complete freedom, I love to spend my time reading, writing, creating, and imagining. Daydreaming when I'm too lazy to write or read is a favorite pastime of mine. My plans for the future used to be to find a way to incorporate my knowledge and my preferred activities in to one job, and they still are, but... I don't know if I'll make it that far. Everyone around me hates me, always hurting me and pushing things too far. I guess that's why I'm pulled to stories regarding Alice in Wonderland - it would be so nice, so relieving if I could just escape to Wonderland, even if only in my dreams. Even a crazed reality, some twisted version of young little Alice's world, would be better than the experiences I go through every damn day. I know that something of that caliber is not possible, traveling dimensions? Well, a girl can hope, can't she?

_~|TREASURE|~_

I begin my walk home, as usual, seeing that my parents neglected to pick me up after school ended, again - as usual, in an unusual rain. It's Florida and not summer, so why it's raining I have no idea: no forecast that I read in preparation for my afternoon walk predicted any stormy weather of sorts to appear. Huffing aloud, I pull my black floral backpack that's slung over my right shoulder a bit higher and cradle my calculus and physics textbooks closer to my midriff. I seemed to be the queen of misfortune; I've noticed I've become quite the meteorologist myself - if I'm wearing a white shirt, it shall rain. Now, my long-sleeved, white button-up shirt was bound to be soaked through, and my dark blue, boot-cut jeans were promised to become cold and uncomfortable. Unfortunately, as I started my trek home through the depressing weather, my boots seemed to be loosing traction and I began slipping and sliding all over the place. There's a diner up ahead at a busy intersection that I'm planning to stop at to wait out the rain, but I never make it there as I fall on the concrete and land in a puddle of water. I lay there, unwilling to move right that moment, sore muscles aching from the impact. Suddenly, I encounter a burst of tiredness and the area around me goes black; my senses are either going crazy or my mind is, but it feels as if I am sinking, falling into the wet ground. Turns out I am moving downwards but why fight it when it seems as if my prayers to leave have been answered?

Screw this place, I'm going on an adventure.

_~|TREASURE|~_

"Miss, are you alright? Miss? Miss!"

I awaken on a damp but soft surface and slowly open my eyes to see two people - a man and a young woman - standing above me.

"Faceless shouldn't be sleeping on the grass, you know. Hahahahaha!~"

I groan as I slowly get up, the girl bending down to help steady me. I almost tumble over before I realize my backpack is still in place and correct my stance, looking around for my now-missing textbooks.

I hear gasps as I look up at and make eye contact with the two. The fancily-dressed small girl turns towards the long-coated man and asks him a question.

"Ace, are there supposed to be any new roleholders? She has eyes..." said the blue girl

"Nope, not any that I can think of, Alice. Ahahahaha!~" laughed the red man.

The girl in the blue dress turned to me and proceeded to ask way too many questions, some regarding a vial or a white rabbit, but was cut off by the other, who I soon discovered to be named Ace.

"Alice, we need to go see Julius - why don't we take her with us and you can speak with her on the way? I'm quite late you know, I think I was supposed to be there… five time periods ago!~"

Alice, the girl, turns to Ace with a shocked face. "Ace, that has to be the smartest idea you have ever had in your entire life."

She grasps my hand and pulls me in step behind the man and we begin our walk: laughing Ace, chipper Alice, and confused me. The barrage of questions slows down and I am able to comprehend what I'm being asked. After Alice is finished, I pose a few questions to her - such as where am I, what is going on, and what's so special about having eyes - and I am satisfied with the short, brisk answers I receive.

My name is Nick Midnight, I'm not a faceless, and apparently, I'm in Wonderland.

_~|TREASURE|~_

Our trio should have been approaching a tall, cylindrical brick building - which I am informed is the Clock Tower and residence of the Clockmaker, Julius Monrey - but instead we ended up at the glistening, metal gates of a large, dolled estate. While Alice and I were conversing, we both blindly followed Ace, the Knight of Hearts who harbors absolutely no sense of direction. So, instead of ending up at our preferred destination of the Clock Tower, the three of us ended up at the Hatter's Mansion: a mafia-controlled territory under the hatter, Blood Dupre, the second in command March Hare, Elliot March, and the gatekeepers who were also known as the Bloody Twins, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum... who were currently absent and not gate-keeping.

"ACE! You've gone the wrong way again!"

"Hahahaha, Alice!~ This is just a shortcut."

"Nick and I will just go to the Clock Tower ourselves, you stupid Knight! Try and find your own way, by yourself!" Alice huffed.

"Alice, please. Midnight, just Midnight." I interjected. Please, don't call me that name, Alice. I don't need more people to comment on it than those thousands of idiots I've went to school with all my life.

"Isn't that your last name, though? I mean, sure... Nick is an unusual name for a girl, but..."

I shake my head, " It makes me uncomfortable when I'm called by that name."

Alice nods in understanding and Ace is preoccupied by staring and laughing at a butterfly. I swear, that laughter is going to murder me one day.

I squint past Alice to see two small blobs - one pink and the other a light blue - running towards the brunette. As the forms get closer, I notice that they are, indeed, two little children who appear to be carrying axes and shouting "Big sis!" While Alice is subsequently glomped, I raise my eyebrow in confusion as to why such small kids are in possession of such dangerous objects. Something about this Wonderland just seems off to me, but however, I'm still liking it much more than my homeland - I feel as if I could possibly fit in here.

My thoughts are cut like a loose thread by two small tugs on my pant legs. The two boys, twins, and since we're by the Hatter's mansion I think that it's safe to assume these are the Bloody Twins Dee and Dum, are by my sides and staring up at me cutely with their identical eyes and curved smiles. Young, curious children are so adorable sometimes.

"Big sis, who's the tall lady?" Dee and Dum ask Alice in reference to myself.

I'm not too tall, but I find myself taller than the average female height at my age, and I tower over Alice's small stature at five feet, eight inches. Often at school I would be teased for being taller than most, for my masculine name, and for various other aspects of my person. I'm not selfish or narcissistic, and I don't find myself attractive at all, but I don't understand why being tall is regarded as such a bad thing. Why is being tall considered so ugly?

Alice laughs faintly, and explains that I'm another outsider. This is something I'm not too clear on, but Alice said she'll get Julius to explain it in more depth once we get to the Clock Tower.

"Dee, Dum, this is Ni-" she starts.

"Alice..."

"Oh, sorry... This is Midnight, your other older sister!"

"Yay!" a unanimous chant comes from the twins as they spin around my legs.

"I'm Dee!" said the light blue boy.

"And I'm Dum!" said the pink boy.

"Together, we're the Bloody Twins!" The two giggle before proceeding to ask: "Midnight, who's Ni? What's a Ni?"

Young, curious children are so annoying sometimes.

I was about to respond that Ni was a part of the first name of mine that I absolutely despised, but no, Ace had to open his fat trap and spew out every little detail.

"Midnight's real name is Nick, but she hates to be called by that, so be good little boys and keep it a secret, okay? Ahahahaha!~" said the laughing Knight.

The twins looked up at me and started to laugh. "Nick? Are you a boy, Midnight? I didn't know outsiders could be boys… Are you a boy like us, Midnight?" They seemed innocent enough, and they most definitely needed to be corrected.

"Now, now, don't be silly Dee, Dum; Of course I'm not a boy - I don't look like one to you, do I?" I ask with a scornful eyebrow raised in perplexion.

"But of course, you do. Why else would you have that name if not for your true self?"

The gate to the Hatter's Mansion squeaks open as it is kicked from the inside by a tall, raven-haired man in a white suit with a matching top hat. The man with the cold voice wears a smirk and is being accompanied by another tall… humanoid hare who seems to be a bit upset with the other's entrance to my conversation. The orange-haired man with the tall, brown lapin ears must be the March Hare - an inference made by taking in his appearance, meaning the other must be…

"Blood, don't say such cruel things!" shouts Alice.

Blood hmpfhs, and continues on. "It's not like it isn't true, I mean look at the poor soul - what a shitty existence you must be having, am I right?" He turns to me and studies my appearance; I become uncomfortable.

_And I thought this place would be different…_

"It dresses like a man, stands like a man, has the name of a man, why should it be any different? The most logical conclusion is-" he rambles.

"Blood!" Alice interrupts, and turns to me. "Midnight, being different isn't a bad thing - it makes you unique. Don't listen to him, he's just being an ass."

"Now, now Alice. A beautiful young lady like yourself shouldn't use such language… Now that one, I'd expect that kind of mouth from."

I could pretend to ignore, pretend to act like I'm not hurting, but I have time on my hands now and I'm not afraid to lash out back. I know I'm not a sweet pea, and even when you get to know me my personality's rough around the edges, but that doesn't make me a man. A name doesn't define who you are - a name is just a name, and is no basis to judge. My appearance, I don't understand where people come up with the idea that I'm a man. I'm not fat, but a bit thick - men don't seem to have problems with Brazilians, so why comment on me because I have that shape? My bust size is large - some of the girls would claim that I have implants because I'm 'such a whore', even though I have never been with anyone at all, inside or outside that context - so where do others find that manly? However, everyone thinks that way - that I'm ugly, manly, and people like Alice are the only ones who deny it - but that's only because they're too nice to say otherwise. I know people are self-biased on their appearance, so there must be something that I'm missing…

Alice is like a porcelain doll, English pale skin, sparkling blue eyes, and straight hair - me, Nick, with Mediterranean skin, green-hazeled eyes, and curly and ruffled hair. Blood's right - Alice is beautiful, and there's no way I'm anything special, but that doesn't make me a man. That's… really the only defense I can take since everything else about me is so horrid.

"Hey, just because I wear pants instead of a skirt doesn't make me a man; where I come from, it's pretty normal so get your facts straight before you start saying shit." I manage to attract the attention of everyone; even Ace has stopped fangirling over the 'pretty butterfly' to watch my speech.

"Just because I stand up straight and tall, not bending down to every whim of asshats like you, because I'm not like every other girl, because I'm physically strong, because I don't prance around in frilly skirts and dresses, that doesn't make me like you. So why don't you shut the hell up and keep your pompous nose out of places and conversations that it doesn't belong in."

I've finished what I've got to say, and Blood just stands there and stares at me with the same smirk he was wearing when he walked out of the gates. _Just like them._

"Well then, Nick. That was brave of you, standing up to the boss of the mafia like that." He walks closer towards me, leaving the Hare and Alice's side. "Yet it was also horrendously stupid. Do you know all the things that I could do to you, all the ways I could punish you for your disobedience and snide remarks?" A gloved hand reaches towards me and strokes my chin, the purr in his voice indicating other interests.

I pull away immediately. "Ha," I laugh, "First you call me a man and then you insinuate activities like that afterwards? Get away from me, you flamboyant homosexual." Promptly, I slap him; in hindsight, that probably wasn't the best idea I've ever had, but pushing buttons is my specialty, and also my weakness. The oohs and aahs of the crowd echo around me and a stuttered ask of wellness from the Hare Elliot March to the Hatter Blood Dupre are the sounds that flood my ears. In an attempt to calm myself, I turn around and take a few steps in the opposite direction of the mansion.

"Alice, are we going to go to the Clock Tower, or are we going to stay here and tango with this imbecile who needs his eyes checked?" I ask the girl with a harsher tone than I intended.

Silently she nods and proceeds after me, dragging the directionless Knight along for the journey. As we exit the local, Alice waves back to the twins, Elliot, and Blood, and I can hear three of the four of them speaking from this distance.

"I'll see you around, _Nick_. It was truly a pleasure to meet you, _boy_."

"Bye big sis, big brother! Get out of here, you stupid Knight!"

And the cycle begins again; maybe this fate is something I cannot escape? These thoughts run rampant and free throughout my mind without confinements as I follow Alice and Ace to the Clock Tower, through twists and turns of the path, through this abnormal Wonderland.


	2. Julius, the Clockmaker & Nightmare,

**Title:** Treasure

**Rating: **T

**Summary:** Nick Midnight is a high school girl who's a victim of fierce bullying regarding her appearance and name. On one rainy day she falls into Wonderland and hopes to start a new life. Will she ever find anyone who will accept her for who she is, or will the vicious cycle begin again? Mary Gowland x Original Character

**A/N's:** For this fic I've been basing Blood's personality off the one in the HNKNA manga by Soumei Hoshino because that was the first Alice manga I read (I got 1-5 when TokyoPop was still around, and the sixth book in French in Canada) and I haven't liked Blood that much since. He seemed to be just a jerk, and I know that portrayal didn't show his sarcastic or funny side so I don't mind him so much anymore. Please don't hate on the Blood hate strewn throughout this fic. Also, Blood and Gowland don't get along so it's better to make Blood one of the quote-on-quote antiheroes.

Also, for plot convenience and the avoidance of extra-jealous Ace, the Clock Tower has multiple bedrooms.

Chapter Two: Julius, the Clockmaker & Nightmare, the Nightmare

As Ace whines on about shortcuts that don't exist and Alice rambles about how our trio is almost at the Clock Tower, I take the time to look around and observe the scenery of the Country of Hearts. There are two other territories of this bizarre country that I have yet to come across - technically three as I have of yet to reach the residence of the Clockmaker - one being the Castle of Hearts from which Ace hails from and the other a colorful, eccentric Amusement Park. Even without travelling to these other territories, there seems to be a plethora of fresh and green landscape, which is a nice change from the overly industrialized home country of mine.

A soft, sweet breeze blows through the air and the scent of pine and other coniferous trees fills my nostrils. I look up at the sky, sun blazing high above the clouds; the air is a… lukewarm temperature, not too hot or cold, but just right. It feels like spring, a true spring - not like the pre-summer simmer we have in Florida.

Eventually, Alice, Ace, and I come across a fork in the road.

"Midnight, just for future reference, if you take the road to the left it leads to the Clock Tower and if you take the road to the right it leads to the surrounding town. Technically you could go either way to reach your destination, but there hasn't been a time period change in a while and I think we should take the quicker route before it gets dark." Alice informs me.

However, Ace has other ideas. "Hahahahaha!~ Alice, Midnight, if you go to the right it's a shortcut!"

Alice slaps her palm of her hand to her forehead and sighs. "Ace, don't bother. You have no clue where you're going! Midnight, don't listen to him."

"But I always get there eventually, ahahahaha!~ Hey, let's go camping." Well, that's Ace for you. Poor, misguided, silly Ace.

Alice begins to lose her temper and yell at the idiot for his suggestion and I laugh at their interaction, finding the whole exchange a bit funny. However, I am soon alerted that the air has gotten cool and the sky has turned a navy blue. What just… happened?

Like a light switch, the sunlight of day was gone and replaced with the glow of a crescent moon.

"Ahahahaha!~ I'll get out my tent: it's not safe for young ladies to be wandering around at night!~" laughed Ace.

"No! Ace, it's not safe to be with _you _at night. Besides, we're almost at the Clock Tower."

I looked around, trying to deciper, trying to understand why the time of day suddenly and quite randomly changed. It was almost as if someone had snapped their fingers and got a time they ordered.

"Uh, Alice?" I spoke.

Turning to me and noting my confusion, Alice decided to speak on the matter at hand - the change of time period.

"Oh, Midnight, this is what I was talking about a few minutes ago - a time change. In Wonderland, time has no particular order. They time of day can switch from day to night, dusk to dawn, at the drop of a hat and with no warning whatsoever."

Well, assuredly that doesn't make much sense, but then again this is a land of wonder, and its namesake reflects. If a time period could change so easily, what else differs from my normal?

"It must take some getting used to," I laugh, " Am I right?"

Alice nods in agreement, pulling the attempting-to-wander-off Ace by his coat sleeve in right, or in this case left, direction.

"Also, Midnight," Alice fumbles around in one of her dress pockets with her free hand, "Outsiders can find these around Wonderland." From her hand appears a small, golden hourglass. The beach-tan sand inside sparkles in the night with a glimmering sheen.

"If you flip the hourglass, you can change the time period to whatever time of day you choose. However," she pauses in her explanation of the workings of the object, "They are incredibly rare and hard to find, so don't waste them."

"Since you know so much about them, I assume you've used one before, Alice?" I inquire.

She nods once more, and the three of us begin to walk down the left path to the Clock Tower.

"Yes, I use them to change the period to night if I want to sleep, or if Blood wants to have one of those Midnight Tea Parties of his..."

Blood. I got silent at the mention of his name. That man... he's just like _them_. Cruel. Spiteful.

Sadistic.

I hate people like him, the ones who point the fingers and direct their anger outwards towards other people. People like him, who mock and harm, spew lies and trash their fellow comrades. All humans are humans - we are all the same, and yet we are all different; some unfortunate souls are more different than others. I find myself to be one of the outliers, one of a different kind, but why do people, people like him, have to mention all my flaws and imperfections all the time?

I would like to feel different about myself, I would like to have the ability to like myself. But, there's nothing to like about me: everyone says so. I don't understand why they feel like reminding me about that fact so often. The people who don't, the people who aren't like Blood, the people who are like Alice, take pity on the poor little lonely girl who is bullied by the meanies of society. As I've said before, those kinds of people are just too nice to say otherwise, to say the truth.

I'm such a pathetic creature. It was unwise of me to believe I could make myself become anything but worthless.

As we continue to travel the darkened path, Alice asks if I want her to use her hourglass, but I decline.

"We're almost there, didn't you say? It would be a waste."

"I suppose that's true."

"Ahahahaha!~"

In the cover of night - or whatever the hell the real time is here - we move to visit the Clockmaker.

_~|TREASURE|~_

"You're late, you imbeciles."

Was the warm welcome our trio received upon entry from the blue, long-haired man that was currently seated at an engineering table covered in broken clocks. He didn't even look up at us as he continued his motherly scolding of danger and responsibility - neither Alice nor Ace looked even slightly fazed by his ramblings, and I figure it must be a routine activity for the duo.

The man in front of me dressed in a long coat and accessorized with a single clock earring, soft-and-silky looking, straight as an arrow hair pulled back into a tie, diligently working was the owner of this neutral territory and the Clockmaker, Julius Monrey. As an important role-holder - ones with a special task -, it was his duty to collect and repair all the clocks of Wonderland. Currently, however, Julius and Ace have established a relationship in which Ace would be the ones to collect the clocks and bring the ever-increasing pile to him to fix while Julius is given a chance to breathe.

"Well, I still came, Julie!" laughed Ace.

Julius twitched and turned around in his chair to face Ace and Alice. "You stupid Knight! That is not my name, we are not friends - only acquaintances - so you have no permission to shorten my name more than it already is!"

As per usual, Ace laughs off the retort, and Julius finally notices my presence. Feeling awkward and not knowing what to do myself, Alice steps in and starts to explain my situation.

"Julius, this is Midnight. She's a new Outsider, like me."

The Clockmaker studies me, and I look down at and study myself as well. Covered in grass stains and dirt from being found out in the woods, my appearance is pretty shabby but my backpack is still in one piece, so I suppose everything's alright.

He begins, slowly, "I see." Julius stands from his chair and walks towards us all. Dragging Ace off to the side for some business and leaving Alice and I alone, we have obtained the perfect opportunity for the two of us to chat about various things. There are a few things on my mind that I would like to get off my chest.

"Alice, do you like him?"

She looks shocked as I pose this question. "W-who?"

"Do you like Blood, Alice?"

Alice is quiet, as I suspected. I'm not as thick, as dull as the people at school would claim me to be. I notice interactions, patterns, and emotions - regarding things that have nothing to do with me, of course. When it comes to my relationships, I'm completely hopeless and don't have a damn idea of what I should be or not be doing. I'm also give good advice to those who need it, except for myself.

"He's a friend, but…" she trails off, "Blood's not always like that. I don't know what got into him today, Midnight. Don't take any of what he said to heart, alright? Those things he said are not true."

I shake my head at her. "Alice, he got the twins to start to call me big _brother_. I haven't even known them for more than five minutes and they already have the wrong idea."

"Midnight, they're smart children and understand better than that. Maybe they were trying to play a game?"

"Well, whatever that was, it wasn't funny." I say bitterly.

Passively, I look past Alice's head to see Ace and Julius bickering about something in the background. It looks as if they're talking about… I squint; it seems as if they're talking about… Outsiders? Ace's hands rest upon Julius's shoulders, shaking him and pulling him closer. Julius pushes the other man off of him, and turns to walk back towards us. I turn my attention back to Alice as to not get caught staring that the two men's conversation.

"Come with me, there is something you should be shown." Julius grabs me by the hand and leads me to the high-rising stairs that are past his work desk. As I pass Ace, he has an expression of hatred and jealousy. If there's something special about Outsiders, then I think I know what this is about.

_~|TREASURE|~_

As I approach the top of the stairs and the roof of the Clock Tower, the night time period has ended and a sunset has taken its place.

"You still have your pack, that's good." Julius notes to me as he approaches the outer edge of the roof's circular platform. "As an Outsider, staying in Wonderland means becoming a part of the Game, and until the Game is complete, you cannot leave it."

A Game? This seems interesting enough; I don't think I'll want to leave though, unless the rest of the people here are like Blood, like _them_. Alice and Julius seem nice enough so far. Ace, though, I don't know what he really thinks. His laughter conceals the face he revealed earlier like a mask.

"As a token, prize piece if you will, of the Game, you are to drink the serum and become the main player. Have you done so yet?" He stops staring at the surrounding scenery and faces me, a questioning look projected on his face. "It comes in a thin bottle with a heart, for this country, on the top."

I shake my head 'No', and connecting the dots, I take my backpack off of my shoulder and dig through it for the described object. My hand reaches something cold, long, and octagonal and I remove it knowingly that it was not in my possession before I arrived in Wonderland.

Similar to the sand in Alice's hourglass, the bottle of the Game's potion had its own sparkling shine. Made of rainbow glass and topped with a glass red heart, the serum shone in the light like a carnival attraction. Etched into one of the eight sides was a music note - precisely, an eighth note. I hand the bottle to Julius, unsure of what I was to do with it.

He studies the bottle, running his finger over the patch with the imprint, and blinks rapidly in succession.

"Your bottle is different from the bottle Alice holds. Her mark is a heart, and yet yours is a note…" He hands the bottle back to me. "Drink this and you will begin your journey to find your true reason for being in this world."

I follow his instructions, and he begins to speak to be about the Country of Hearts.

"You're in the Country of Hearts. It has four domains." Julius points to a large structure northeast of the Clock Tower. "That building is the Castle of Hearts, ruled by the Queen of Hearts." Gesturing to the southeast of the Clock Tower, "That elaborate compound is the Hatter Mansion, run by a mafia family, and controlled by a noted sociopath 'The Hatter'."

"Ace took us there on accident earlier. It was a most unfortunate… interaction." I mentioned softly while he continued his explanation of the layout of Hearts Country.

"We are here, at the Clock Tower Plaza, and adjacent to us is the Amusement Park."

I look out at all the places far away, the ones that look small because of this distance's depth perception. The Amusement Park catches my eye, and I take a few steps in its direction. Even from here I can spot a Ferris Wheel revolving and a rollercoaster cart moving along a high track. I smile to myself, remembering the first experience, and last experience, that I had at my trip to the amusement park back home.

"Thank you, Julius, for your explanation."

He grunts in response, adding, "If you have any other questions, I suppose the Dream Demon will be there to answer them when you go to sleep." Turning on his heel, he begins to head down the winding stairs, leaving me to stare off at and admire the new world I find myself now living in.

_~|TREASURE|~_

As I hurry down the stairs, backpack in hand, I almost trip and fall on my face. When I reach the floor that the rest of the people in the Clock Tower should be on, only Alice is there, standing around all by her lonesome.

"Julius went to see Ace out of the Clock Tower. It's so surprising how he can get lost on a straightforward staircase, but he's managed to do it before!" she laughs.

She must not have seen what I saw… and she's been here longer than me. I guess you could say she's not the type who's very observant. Maybe she just pretends not to notice; that could be another reason of her ignorance, or perhaps feigned ignorance.

I begin to ask Alice if she had any clothes that I could borrow - earlier she told me that she stays here with Julius, so she must have some in her room - when Julius returns, hair slightly disheveled, and a glassy look in his eyes. Being the workaholic that he is, he promptly sits at his work table once more and resumes repairing the clocks.

"Alice, make me a coffee please?"

She perks up and responds with a smile. "I will in a few minutes, Julius, just as soon as I find Midnight a change of clothes."

"Thank you so much, Alice, I'm really grateful. You too, Julius - thanks for letting me stay here for the time being."

The slightly cranky clockmaker grunts again while trying to smooth out his crinkled locks, and Alice whisks me away to an upstairs room. Once there, she hands me a nightgown and a bathrobe, pointing me in the direction of an empty bedroom and the bathing room.

"I'm going to retire for the night as well, after I make Julius his coffee. The poor man, he hardly ever sleeps. I wish he'd take better care of himself..."

"Alright, Alice. I can't thank you enough. If you and Ace hadn't found me on your travels, I don't know what I would have done." I truly am grateful for everything she's done. Aside from the visit to the Hatter's Mansion, everything went well today. Maybe this is a place I'll be able to fit in, maybe there isn't any place I'll be able to fit in. Only time will tell, and a girl can hope, can't she?

_~|TREASURE|~_

After the warm, relaxing shower, I lied on the guest bed, closed my eyes, and fell asleep instantly. What I expected was to have a dream-filled sleep and wake up in the morning nice and refreshed. What I did not expect was to open my eyes moments later to a dark void with a floating, grey-haired man in it.

Startled, and remembering Julius's comments about a Dream Demon visiting me in my sleep tonight to answer all of my remaining questions, I began, "Are you the one Julius mentioned to me?"

Puffing on the smoking pipe that he held in his hand, he speaks. "The 'Dream Demon'? That's a name I prefer not to be called by, but yes. I am Nightmare Gottschalk, the Nightmare and an incubus."

I feel one side of my face begin to twitch in annoyance with the last description about his existence. I mean, really, who would go around flaunting and volunteering information that they're an incubus? Apparently, Nightmare, the Nightmare and man who loves to pleasure many women in their slee-

"I am an incubus in name only, I swear!" Nightmare shouts, with a flushed face from embarrassment. "I have never, and will never, do something like that in my entire li-" he struggles to finish his words as he begins to cough up a stream of blood.

I stare at the bizarre sight less than five feet away from me with a perfect poker face. A fretting, middle-aged, sickly Nightmare who panicked over a thought I made in my mind was currently puking blood from his stomach, which most definitely couldn't be healthy. I'm worried, suspicious, and don't know what to think; is that man alright, how did he know what I was thinking, and where am I and what is going on? To have that response to what I self-dialogued, he must have read my mind… If he can read my mind, then he can-

"Hear your thoughts? Sorry for interrupting, but yes - I can." Nightmare dabs the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief, wiping away the speckled remnants of his miniature coughing fit. "I think it makes conversations so much easier, don't you think?"

I start to crack up - what a card! While some people may find it offensive and an invasion of privacy, being able to overhear one other's thoughts can help communication become more productive. Ha, he is right - having an ability like that would make conversations so much easier.

"Well, hello Nightmare, nice to meet you. My name's… Nick Midnight." If he can hear my thoughts, then he also must know I hate my name. Even hearing myself say 'Nick'…

Blood, that bastard.

"It's nice to meet you too, Midnight. I see you've had a run in with the Hatter already?" he questions.

"Yeah, if that's what you want to call it. I'm trying to push it out of my mind…" Just like everything that happened back home. This is _Wonderland_, why am I wasting my time dwelling on the past?

Why am I wasting everyone else's time by being here?

"Don't think those thoughts," he orders, "One, they're not true - you're a beautiful person who's been victimized by selfish and jealous individuals, two, I think you'll find Wonderland quite peculiar and… different from your homeland."

My brow furrows, and I take a seat on the ground of this void. "What do you mean?"

"You want to know about Outsiders, correct?"

"Yes."

"You already know about the Game, don't you?"

"Yes, Julius explained it to me."

He stares at me, most likely going through my memories to find out what it was exactly that Julius told me about the Game, and I stare back.

"You are to refill the vial, the object that you drank the serum from, to be able to exit Wonderland. This is done by interacting with the role-holders of Wonderland and forming relationships with them - platonic or romantic."

"So Wonderland is a non-optional social convention?"

He laughs and agrees. "Yes, I suppose so. You are an Outsider - and everyone loves an Outsider."

Everyone loves in outsider… platonic or romantic… I ponder the fresh information before I figure out why Ace was giving me such hate-filled dirty looks earlier. Is he worried that I'm going to try and pine after Julius? He's afraid that I'll take the effeminate, cranky clockmaker from him? I laugh, and Nightmare laughs with me since he knows exactly what I'm thinking.

"Now that's a development that I had no knowledge of. It seems my fountain of information," He's talking about Alice here, "Seemed to have missed it."

I laughed softly. "She missed their entire exchange earlier, their argument I mean. She also missed his ravaged appearance when he came back from 'walking Ace out'."

Nightmare snorts.

"So everyone likes an Outsider, huh…" I say.

"Outsiders who come to this world all have a quality about them we seem to love."

I doubt that's true about me. Me, having a special quality that makes people like me? What ridiculousness.

"What did I say about that kind of talk?" Nightmare scolds.

"Sorry, _mother_."

Laughing together, Nightmare and I talk for a bit longer, discussing my day and the special workings of Wonderland before casually coming to the issue of my wardrobe.

"Midnight, I regret to inform you, but the female citizens of Wonderland don't really wear your type of clothes. It's going to be hard to find a replacement for the clothes that were ruined by your fall into this place."

My face twisted up like I had taken a bite out of something bitter; there would be no way I would wear frilly dresses like Alice does.

"But," Nightmare interrupts my thoughts, "I think something can be arranged. There should be a present waiting for you on your nightstand when you wake up." He sing-songs.

My sour mood vanishes and is replaced with a true smile of real happiness.

"Oh, thank you so much, Nightmare!" I give him a quick hug, but release and hold him by the shoulders as he begins to cough again.

"You really are an unhealthy man, aren't you?"

"Hey, I'm not that bad! Besides, I hate needles..."

I step away, smile, laugh, and wave as he fades into the darkness of the now dissolving and disappearing black void. I see, it must be now time for me to awaken to my second day in Wonderland.


	3. Nifty Gifts

**Title:** Treasure

**Rating: **T

**Summary:** Nick Midnight is a high school girl who's a victim of fierce bullying regarding her appearance and name. On one rainy day she falls into Wonderland and hopes to start a new life. Will she ever find anyone who will accept her for who she is, or will the vicious cycle begin again? Mary Gowland x Original Character

**A/N's:** I have to admit, AcexJulius is my guilty pleasure ship for Heart/Clover/Anniversary/Joker/Diamond no Kuni no Alice. (Hey, would you look at that - sequential publication order. *shot*) Anyway, here's a Treasure headcanon: Ace is gay and can only love the Outsiders in a family/friend way, but Julius has made the mistake of telling Ace he's actually bisexual, so Ace gets very jealous and protective when Outsiders come to Wonderland so they don't take his precious Julie away.

Chapter Three: Nifty Gifts

As per Nightmare's word, when I opened my eyes in my guest bedroom in the Clock Tower Plaza, upon my bedside nightstand rested a pile of blue, black, and white clothing. On the floor, leaning against the small table, was a brand new pair of black combat boots. Reaching over from the side of the bed and feeling up the side of the footwear, I discover that the two shoes are made of real leather - or at least a good enough faux leather that makes them feel like real thing.

"Damn," I say aloud to myself, "These alone must have cost Nightmare a fortune."

Slowly removing the warm sheets and climbing, or rather my clumsy self tumbles, off the bed, I pick up the pile of clothes, feeling the softness and silkiness of the materials under my fingertips, and begin to change out of the borrowed nightgown.

A smile graces my face and I shake my head back and forth. I mutter, "Of course Nightmare _would_ know exactly what I like - that mental sneak."

My outfit resulted in being a pair of black boot-cut jeans with white ringlets traveling around the circumference of my legs, a long-sleeved, light blue v-neck collared shirt, and a pristine white button-up vest. The clothes were slightly snug and form fitting, attaching to the curves I never knew I had. Almost, just almost, the clothes make me think that maybe I'm not as hideous as I thought.

I look at my reflection in the stand-up mirror that lies against the wall, ironically, in the left corner of the room. Being adventurous, I let my multi-colored brown, black, and streaked red hair down from my ponytail to rest upon my shoulders and beyond. The curls at the bottom bounced up a bit, framing my face to a v-shape. I feel as if I look like a young sparrow - my hair, like ruffled feathers, sprays out vibrantly in every direction. A mixture of straight patches, wild waves, and swaying curls gives me a messy yet pleasant-looking appearance. Capturing a light strand in an open hand, I move the hair and gently push it back behind an ear. After staring at myself for a bit longer, I energetically pat my hands on the sides of my legs in anticipation for the grand day, and after pulling up the pair of new, beautiful boots, I walk out of the room and down the stairs to the main congregational room where Alice and Julius were gathered and having a discussion, barely remembering to return the used nightgown and robe to the other female's room beforehand.

_~|TREASURE|~_

"There is no space for you to remain living here permanently."

"Julius! Don't say it like that, you sound so mean."

After staying in the Clock Tower's hospitality for a single night, it was time for me to be pushed out. While I have no idea where I will be able to stay - Alice suggested the Castle of Hearts, but that would be way too fancy for my tastes - and I'm a bit worried about looking for such, I can understand why Julius may not want me here and besides, as Nightmare said, 'everyone loves an Outsider'.

Julius, while also in an attempt to keep Ace's temperament at bay, has good reason to not keep me here; the Clock Tower Plaza is very odd, and there is no space as it only has three bedrooms: Julius's, Alice's, and the guestroom I slept in the previous night. While the Clock Tower Plaza is a large structure with extensive grounds, the way the building is organized is very unique. The white-washed brick walls, the winding staircases, and few amenities throughout the Plaza make it hard to find room to place rooms within, and is unable to house more than a couple individuals. Granted the Clockmaker is not the most hospitable person on Earth or down… up here (?) in Wonderland, but he is highly logical and often means well.

However, that does not stop me from being completely pissed about the situation.

"Well, thanks for the minute warning before kicking me out. It's appreciated." I snot-off sarcastically.

Alice looks torn between the two of us, unable to pick a side seeing that it was unfair to invite me in and then kick me out right away and also seeing that there really was no space for me to stay permanently.

"There is no space; Ace uses the guest room when he stays in the Tower after late business."

Smirking, "I understand that, but couldn't Ace just _sleep_ with you? Unless he already does…"

Alice, like a pure little child, does not catch the connotation that I added to my words, but the Clockmaker does and a slight blush forms on his face before he looks back down at the clock pile on his desk and continues to work.

There's an awkward silence, and neither of them have noticed my new appearance yet, so I make one of those throat-clearing coughs and ask Alice to go make the Julius and I a cup of coffee. I'm not personally a huge fan of coffee, or tea for the matter - I'm more of a hot chocolate person, but I wanted the opportunity to speak with Julius about this situation alone.

I step forwards until I reach the edge of his large table, the heels on my boots clicking along the entire way, and fold my arms across my chest.

"I know why you want me to leave, I know there's a second reason, and I respect your decision since this is your territory and I am but a visitor. However, where in this world could you possibly expect me to move to?" I question.

He pauses, sets down the metal screwdriver he was using on the cherry wood, and pushes up his working glasses before lifting his head to look at me. Sighing, and almost begrudgingly, "What domains have you been to?" he questions.

Leaning my back against the table with the least amount of pressure as possible so as not to disturb the already-teetering pile of broken clocks, I tell him.

"I landed in the woods somewhere, and Ace led Alice and I down a path - a path he thought led here - and we ended up at the Hatter's Mansion." Before he could comment or ask about the experience, I quickly added, "There's no way in hell I'll live there. Blood, a bastard like _them_…"

I pause, and he takes the opportunity, "And then Alice corrected his way and you all ended up here, at the Plaza?"

I nod, "Yeah… Alice wants me to check out the Castle of Hearts, but I don't think that would be a suitable place for me - too fancy and royal, you know?"

"Hmm…"

The two of us remained in silence until Alice comes back with two steaming coffee mugs in hand.

"Alright, you two! Fresh, hot coffee!~"

Alice passes me her fresh brew and sets down Julius's next to his clock pile. I take a sip of the drink, only to find that it's a lumpy, ill-prepared, dark blend, and cough a bit at the unexpected bitterness of the soggy dirt. How in the hell does Julius drink this crap?

"Thirty-two." Julius mumbles after taking his first dreadful, and last, sip.

Alice's face is full of confusion and anger surfacing at the same time, leaving her with a hilarious visage. "W-what?" she sputters, "That's it?!" questioning the drinkability of her coffee.

"Yes, it's quite dreadful, Alice," he replies to the awestruck woman. Alice, since she's staying at the Clock Tower Plaza with Julius, tries to make herself useful makes coffee regularly for the man. However, it is apparent that she has no talent for it and vast room for major improvement.

Voicing my own opinion, I add, "He's right, Alice. It tastes like… a cross between wet sock and mud."

"How do you even know what that tastes like?"

"I don't _know _what that tastes like, but if I did, it would most definitely taste like this."

Alice begins to chatter on about how she is a beginner to coffee-brewing and how she has Julius grade her on each cup, but to be honest, I wasn't very interested so I wasn't really paying attention. If she was talking about books or music, then I'd watch like a hawk, but with my ears - wait, that doesn't make much sense, does it? Well, anyways, those types of discussions pique my interest, not quaint little frettings about coffee making.

Finding a break in our one-sided conversation, Julius cuts through. "Alice, take Midnight to the Amusement Park and have her meet Gowland - I think she'll like it there."

That's his suggestion? Julius thinks I should stay at the Amusement Park? An Amusement Park is very crowded, loud, rapturous - which isn't a bad thing, by the way - and I'm not sure it's natural for a person to live there. But, I don't know much about the place, and for all I know it could be like Disney World with lodging located everywhere along the surrounding premises... I guess I don't have much of a choice and need to give it a try, since I am not going to stay at the Hatter's Mansion and I'd really rather not go live at the Castle of Hearts.

"That's an excellent idea! Midnight, don't forget to bring your backpack with you when we leave, okay?"

Alice, I assume, trots off to go collect a few things before we leave, or perhaps ready herself a bit more before we go, as we are practically being ushered off the property by everybody's favorite morning person. I pick up Julius's coffee mug to take to the kitchen to clean while he continues to fix the clocks from his ever-growing pile of broken time-tickers.

"Gowland's a lot like you, Midnight. I think you and him will get along quite well." Julius speaks into the silent room and I stop my advancement towards the door.

"Who is this Gowland, anyways?" I ask, "I know he's a man from the Park, but…"

"He's… a friend of mine who happens to be a 'Duke' and the owner of said Amusement Park."

I laugh, "Hey, be sure not to tell Ace that!~"

A faint blush crosses Julius's cheeks, or maybe it's a tinge of anger, as he promptly, "Get out of here, you're an annoyance," switches back to his common crabby self.

"Of course, as soon as these get rinsed out."

I smile figuring that to him, that act alone should suffice as a thank-you and goodbye.

_~|TREASURE|~_

"What do you keep in that thing, Midnight!?" Alice exclaims as she tries to pick up my backpack.

Which is a completely normal thing to do in the middle of a forest.

On our way to the Amusement Park, I had begun to complain about how I had to carry around the stupid heavy pack, and Alice fooled herself into believing that it really wasn't heavy at all - I guess I can't blame her for thinking that, it really doesn't look to weigh all that much. In response, I brought it down from my single shoulder, dropped it on a bright-green patch of grass, and told Alice to pick it up herself. Since, she has found it to be an impossible feat for her small, lithe frame.

"Actually, now that you mention it, I'm not quite sure."

This was a true statement, as I have not looked inside the carrier since I came to Wonderland, but only felt around inside of it to find a glass vial. I should probably pay more attention to objects that randomly appear in my backpack, probably make sure nothing new appears once in a while; I should also make sure that vial doesn't break… it is a glass container floating around in a heavy backpack - it's sure to get a crack eventually. Well, I suppose, once I find a place to stay, I'll leave it in a drawer or on a desk as one of those options would be much safer.

The two of us kneel down on the patch of grass in this random area of a forest - not a very thick one, but nonetheless a forest - and unzip the backpack to discover what is inside.

Alice pulls out two textbooks, and I remove the vial, a journal, an empty metal water canteen, and a copy of Johann Sebastian Bach's Six Sonatas and Partitas for Viola Solo.

I look at the books Alice has pulled from my backpack - my physics textbook and my calculus textbook. Oddly enough, they were not dirty or had any evidence of water damage from when I slipped in all the rain water in my homeworld. Also, they were not near me when I woke up, and my bag was considerably lighter back then. Where in Wonderland did these come from? These newly appearing books seem to be replacements for the ones that were lost and damaged that someone placed in my bag this morning, I deduce.

"I have no idea what these are doing here," I say aloud, "These were lost, and now they look brand new, so who… how…"

Alice, in a fit of curiosity, takes the books from my hand and opens them, flipping through the pages while a flapping sound occurs as a result. Somewhere in the book is lodged a note, which falls out as Alice explores the text and reads.

"Missing something? - Nightmare Gottschalk," the note says, and I just huff and shake my head. That Dream Demon really does know everything I think. The clothes, the textbooks, Nightmare really does give nice gifts. However, they're a real pain in the ass to carry.

"Midnight, how come there's nothing written in here?" Alice asks while holding up my brown, leather journal. Without my knowledge, Alice has picked up and flipped through the journal I removed from my backpack. She's right - not a single word has graced the paper within, not even a name to identify my property. There's an explanation for that; originally I was going to make it a book of quotes and poems that I enjoy so that I could look them over and reread them if I had the urge to, but somewhere along the way I changed my mind of what I wanted to put into the small book. I was considering to possibly craft it into a novella of sorts, about a journey, about love, or maybe an adventure, a drama.

Either way, no matter what I choose, I respond: "Well, Alice, I haven't discovered the perfect tale to author yet."

"Sounds interesting, nya," an unknown voice interrupts our duo. A pink, unholy mixture of cat and human appears from the bushes. A cat-man, complete with a swishing tail and twitching ears, dressed in a skirt, leggings, and a cutoff top while decorated with chains and a boa, smiles widely at the two of us.

"Boris!" Alice exclaims, and rockets up from her seated position to stand and give him a hug.

Cat-man, I mean Boris, waves to me before turning to Alice and asking, "Alice, who's your friend?"

Alice, chipper, responds, "Boris, this is Midnight - she's a new Outsider!"

A look of confusion appears on Boris's face, "O-oh? But I heard from the twins that…" he quietly ends and trails off, but is nevertheless heard.

"Heard from the twins, _what_?" I ask, having a bad feeling in my gut that I already knew what those easily-influenced little boys said.

"Big sis!" Two miniature figures popped out behind where Boris and Alice were, and completely enveloped their attention, and pushed the thought of me and my words away from them.

"Big sis, let's go to the Amusement Park!"

"Yeah, Alice, come with us, we were already on our way there."

"Well, I was going there anyways, so sure!"

They left me there, sitting on the ground with my backpack's contents strewn across the ground. The three of them, a group of friends, laughing and in their own little world walked on the path towards the Amusement Park and never looking back; the twins, capturing them, Boris, leaving an unanswered question, and Alice, leaving me behind and forgetting me entirely.

It is in this moment I realize that even here, here in Wonderland, I am unimportant. I am worthless and unwanted, an unnecessary distraction who's forgotten in the long run. Ace distrusts me and thinks I am of adulterous ways, Julius wants my presence away from his life, Alice deserts me for others, the twins slander my name, Blood, my body. Boris ignores my existence, Nightmare gives me gifts for me to leave him alone and get out of his realm.

As thunder clouds begin to brew in the newly evening time period, I repack my bag and then continue to travel through the forest to the Amusement Park, seeing that there's nowhere else for me to go. Maybe the owner, maybe Gowland will be one to befriend me.

Maybe I do need a rapturous place to live.


	4. The Delicacy of a Pair of Glasses

**Title:** Treasure

**Rating: **T

**Summary:** Nick Midnight is a high school girl who's a victim of fierce bullying regarding her appearance and name. On one rainy day she falls into Wonderland and hopes to start a new life. Will she ever find anyone who will accept her for who she is, or will the vicious cycle begin again? Mary Gowland x Original Character

**A/N's:** Poor Midnight, she feels like everyone in Wonderland is against her, but she still sees the small beacon of hope! Gowland, you goofy old man, go cheer her up!

For this chapter, YAY AMUSEMENT PARK TIEM, l looked up roller coasters to put in the park (so if you guys were curious you could look up the name and find out what the attraction looks like) and there's so many cool parks out there in the world that I want to go to now ;_;

Chapter Four: The Delicacy of a Pair of Glasses

In the wake of the continuously setting sun, the Amusement Park glimmered, shining bright light that is currently holding off the incoming rainstorm all on its own. Loud neon colors of pink, green, blue, and yellow hues are exploding into the rainbow phosphorescent gate that closed off the park from its extending grounds filled with shops, restaurants, and lodging.

Knowing better than to sit around and be angry about my abandonment - I can do that later when I am not in a place that is threatened by rainfall, like some form of shelter - I approach the sparkling gates and walk through the entrance, only to find a ticket center on the other side.

Well, I don't have any money, so… What am I supposed to do now?

I am approached by a faceless man and a faceless woman, both dressed in eccentric garb, complete with antennas and triangular-shaped coats.

"Good afternoon, honored guest!" they exclaimed together in unison.

"He-hello?" I stutter; an honored guest? Are they referencing my status as an Outsider? Wait a minute… how would they know anyways? They only people I've met are Alice, Julius, Nightmare, the Twins, Blood, Ace, and Boris. Well that is a plethora of people, so it isn't hard to believe that word gets around quickly.

"Hello, new Outsider!~" the female says loudly, capturing the attention of a few faceless who are walking around close by, "Rumors travel quite fast around the Amusement Park; I'm a bit surprised there's another Outsider - I can't believe it's true!" she squeals.

The faceless man nods his head quickly in agreement before delving into a description of the park, rides, and organization.

"This here Amusement Park is the largest territory in the Country of Hearts, ruled by Duke Gowland! We have quite the attractions here…" as he continues to speak on, I cannot catch everything he says at the fast rate he spews the information, hearing snippets like: "Our Ferris Wheel is known for being the current highest ride in the park" and "the coaster Bizarro, formerly Medusa, is unmatched in its speed".

I am overwhelmed with the amount of yapping one person can do - when people used to talk to me, I was a very good listener, but even with that skill the Amusement Park workers were hard to follow. However, my attention becomes extremely focused when the female speaks in her shrill voice of war, violence, and Blood.

"Currently," she says, "the Amusement Park is at war with the Hatter, Blood Dupre, and his mansion for various reason including the spread of propaganda yadayadayada and for damaging the Owner's name and reputation-"

"What did Blood say about him?" I interrupt, curiously. In a sick way, I was a bit glad that there was somebody else who Blood has humiliated - maybe this person could be one I may possibly be able to explain myself to and relate to. It's never a good thing to be ostracized by another, but those who are hurt by the same person often seem to come together and form deep mutual friendships.

Blood; I hate that man with a burning passion. While some may say that you can't judge a person on first impressions, they're wrong - people do it all the time, and it is usually the beginning of an unwarranted conflict, but it still happens every day. That man, cruel and spiteful, he's like _them_ - the cold-blooded assholes I attended school with my entire life, the people who waste their time and believe it's good fun and humorous when others are in pain. Blood's a sadistic brat who's never grown up, and I hate him. I hate him for the way he speaks of me, perceives me, and the way he looks at me. Punish me, he says; punish me for what? He's the insinuator in more ways than one. Just thinking about the events, which seem so long ago even though they occurred yesterday, give me a strange sense of foreboding that sends chills down my spine.

"We're really not supposed to talk about it since the Owner gets incredibly mad, but," the male employee begins.

"Since he's testing the new coaster Alpengeist right now, and everyone in the land already knows about it anyway," the female employee pauses and looks around the premises shiftily. She runs to my side with a spring in her step and places one hand on my shoulder, using the other to cup her mouth and direct sounds towards my ear. The other faceless stands with his arms crossed, looking from side to side, presumably for Gowland, the Owner.

"The Hatter," she whispers, "told everyone in the Country of Hearts about Gowland's first name; it's Mary, and he hates it since it makes him sound like the ride," she giggles.

Mary Gowland... does she mean it's like a pun on merry-go-round? I don't know in what language the sound of land equals round, except maybe in a Japanese translation of rando and roundo to land and round, but if he's sensitive about it like I am with my name, then it's not nice for others to inform people about it.

Speaking of his name, Mary is a feminine name, isn't it? Never in my life have I met a man named Mary, then again one would not expect to find a girl named Nick either. Blood just has to find a way to make others feel bad, doesn't he? What a jerk, he's probably running around right now to all the territories and telling people my real name just like he did to Gowland.

The two Amusement Park faceless employees stare at me expectantly as if they were waiting for me to do something interesting.

"I'm not going to laugh, if that's what you're waiting for," I state blatantly. If he wants to keep it on the down-low, why should I laugh with everyone else. Just having one person refusing to give in can make a difference; trust me, I would know.

As if on cue, lightning strikes in the background and rain begins to pour over the town just outside the ever-shining gates. The two faceless look up at the scene and then turn to each other, speaking about how the park may have to be closed.

"We'd love to you show you around, uh," the male trails off, not knowing what to call me. Rumors travel fast across the park, and if he doesn't know, then Blood's words haven't gotten to this part of the Country of Hearts yet.

"Midnight," I helped him.

"Yes, we'd love to give you the grand tour Midnight, but it seems that the weather has taken a turn for the worse, so you'll have to find the Owner on your own!~"

The two skitter off like lizards in a driveway, perhaps to find other employees to alert the customers and close down shop, and I can hear them developing nonmalicious rumors including: "I wonder if she'll stay and they'll get together!~" and "Hopefully we'll have a park romance!".

I shake my head back and forth, laughing slightly at the pair and their comments, before being brought back to reality as a snap of thunder reaches my ears. Deciding as the rain clouds threaten to come closer to go look for this Mary Gowland, I try to think about whether or not the faceless employees mentioned where he was. Currently he'd be testing a new roller coaster... Isn't that quite dangerous in this weather?

I look back towards the gates and find them to be covered in water, generously provided by the inching storm. Well, no going back now - it's time to go find this crazy Duke of an Owner.

Alpengeist, anyone?

_~|TREASURE|~_

Named 'Ghost of the Alps', Alpengeist looked quite intimidating; containing various loops and including various types of rolls, the baby blue coaster looked grey and eerie in the shaded light produced by the incoming black storm clouds and rain. So this is the one tests were being run on, huh? It must be in the latest stages of development as it looks finalized and ready to take in patrons, unlike the Jet Coffee Cup Coaster I passed on the way…

Unfortunate for me, Alpengeist was located in the very back of the Amusement Park so it took a bit of time to arrive at the destination, but fortunately for me, I was able to get a sneak peek of many of the attractions in this place before I get to participate in the activities at a later date. On my way, I passed several 'under construction' areas that looked a bit rickety and definitely dangerous.

Not to mention ridiculous; seriously, a Jet Coffee Cup Coaster? The idea sounds interesting and fun - besides those with weak stomachs, who wouldn't love a tea cup ride mixed with a roller coaster? -, but the design is utterly impossible to make reality and more importantly, safe, if it does not change. I swear I didn't even see a lap bar or seatbelts in the coffee cups… someone's going to get hurt, unless an accident hasn't happened already.

Currently, a car is going around on the track, and it looks like none of the faceless employees in the park have wandered back here yet to let the test group, including Gowland, know that the park will be closing due to bad weather conditions. Shouldn't he have been the first person the workers told? Well, I guess you can't separate a man from his fun.

Tiredly, I shuffle forward to stand under a piece of the ride and look up at it in curiosity. The ride itself is a full-circuit inverted coaster, meaning that the entire ride is one in which the train car is under the track and the seats hang down. So, when a regular roller coaster has the track facing up and the people are sitting normally, when that happens in an inverted roller coaster, the riders are upside down.

I turn to walk towards the entrance to the ride as to catch the group of testers when they come out, to meet the Owner for the first time and inform them that the workers decided among themselves to close the park down, my foot nudges something. I look down to find a pair of glasses resting on the ground in an upside down position - they must have fallen when a tester was thrown in reverse on the coaster.

I pick them up and inspect them: the frames, metal, the lenses themselves experiencing a miracle and are completely free of chips, scratches, and cracks. The spectacles are cold to the touch and are slightly heavy in weight. They appear to be a men's pair, and they're quite nice in my opinion.

A _click_ sound vibrates through the air, originating from past the ride entrance and at the boarding station. I can hear a chatter running about those who have just finished the test runs and exited Alpengeist. I move forward with the glasses in my hand before stopping abruptly only a few feet away and realizing that I don't actually know who these belong to, or what Duke Gowland looks like. This… might end up being a problem.

Maybe I should pretend that I just found these and stand off to the side while waiting for them to come out? It might prevent some awkwardness. If I just lean against this railing and stare at the pair, pretending to study them and shift them in my hands, I may be convincing... Now that I look a bit closer, they seem a bit dirty and covered in fingerprints.

Wait a minute! I won't have to pretend after all.

Taking a lens cleaning cloth out of my backpack, I begin to work away on removing the blurring prints from the surfaces of the glasses. I don't wear glasses myself, but I keep the cloth around for when I have to use a dirty computer screen at school or in the library. I wipe them down so that I can see the pictures better - plus, it's nice not having to stare at someone else's unique marks while trying to research for a project.

Fully distracted by my task at hand, literally, I neglect to hear or see the crowd when they emerge from Alpengiest's exit, their passages of speech hitting my ears but not being recognized or acknowledged.

"Mr. Gowland, are you sure you don't need help looking for them?" asked a faceless employee to a tall, reddish-brown haired man who seemed to be stumbling around a bit on the cool, shaded pavement.

The man, Mary Gowland, waved the concerned male off, "I'll be alright, don't you worry about it," and looked to the sky, "But you should worry about this weather. Hopefully lightning won't strike anything in the park…" An understandable concern that was - if lightning were to hit the metal of the rides or the canopies of arenas and restaurants, then fires could start or mechanical failure could occur. Both possible events would cost a large amount of money in repairs and an even bigger amount of time in setbacks.

"Do you think the front-end managers have decided to close?" he inquires.

A different faceless tester responds, "I would think so; that would be the most logical thing to do. Also, nobody seems to be roaming the park at this current time except for…" he trails off, looking at me.

Still distracted by cleaning the item, I don't notice as the group of people approaches me.

"There's a young woman over there sir," a female faceless employee points in my direction, "And I think she has your glasses if you want to go talk to he-"

"Hm? What's wrong? Why did you stop?" Gowland asks.

"Um, she has eyes sir, either she's the new Outsider or we have ourselves a new role holder."

A hearty laugh escapes his mouth as he begins to speak, "Hopefully she's the latter; we don't need another Pierce running around… What a pain, that kid."

Gowland looks around and up at the ever darkening sky and turns around to face the small group of Amusement Park workers he has with him. "Well, I can't see squat without those damn things on, but I know a storm when one's coming, Y'all head on up to the front and make sure they're closing up. I'll go talk to the miss, alright?"

The crowd leaves without a noise, excluding the sound of shuffling footsteps as they drag themselves back to the far-away entrance to the park.

A thunder cloud booms above me, snapping my attention back to the reality of my situation.

"Aww…" I say aloud to myself, or so I thought, "I just finished cleaning these glasses, and now they're probably going to get water drops on them." I frown, concerned more for the item than for myself. I've had experience with rainstorms and thunderstorms, lightning storms if you prefer, so I can handle myself; I feel bad though - I fixed up this pair to give them back to their owner in great shape, but it's almost as if I've wasted my time since it's going to rain.

Oh would you look at that, I'm wearing white.

Curse you, color spectrum.

Still in my own little world, I lean down to pick up the backpack that I had set down on the concrete while cleaning the glasses, and prepare to leave. This, leaving, was my plan until a large warm hand had found itself clamping down on my left shoulder. Instead of screaming or shrieking out of fear like most girls my age would do, my reaction was to tense and scream on the inside. What the-?

"Hey there, little miss! What do you have there?" asked a tall man with reddish-brown hair and a small braided ponytail. As I look up at him and stare into the sea foam green eyes, I decide he is not one to be afraid of - hopefully, looks can be deceiving - so I un-tense and study him a bit more.

The man who startled me was… well, my first impression is weird. His outfit matches the theme of the Amusement Park - obnoxious colors, neon blue and shades of yellow. His knee-high socks possessed a diamond pattern, another dose of yellow with the vertical line of blue shapes. After taking all of this in, two things about him caught my attention - the music note pattern he had on his jacket and the chain of notes hanging from his necktie, and donkey suspenders.

"Well, I found these glasses over here, and I don't know who they belong to… It's a miracle they aren't broken - they must have fallen off someone's head while they were on this coaster here," I say answering his stated question, trying not to be _too_ distracted by his… abstract and unique clothing choices.

He laughs heartily and gently lifts the corrective lenses out of my hands and places them on his face. "These little buggers are mine - they musta dropped in the loop above us. Thanks for findin' them, little miss."

He blinks a couple times while looking in different directions and shaking his head, adjusting to the change in clarity. After a few awkward moments, he turns out to me and juts out his hand in greeting.

"My name is Gowland. I'm the Owner here at this beautiful park," he pauses and looks up at the sky, "and I'd show you around if it didn't look like hell outside."

I laugh, "My name's Midnight. Nice to meet you Gowland… and don't worry, the employees are closing the park up in the front."

I could see relief pass through the eyes behind the industrial-strength glasses, but it only lasted for a moment as a bolt of lightning violently struck the ground on the other side of _Alpengeist_.

"Shit, this thing's like a lightnin' rod. We need to go!"

"What!? Where!?" I screamed over the thunder boom.

Gowland grabbed me by the hand and started running off towards a large, not-under construction building, and pulled me behind him as I was failing to keep up. We soon arrived, just in time, standing under the building's off-shooted covered pavilion as the clouds cracked open like water on an overheated car engine to pour out droplets upon gallons upon inches of rain.

Lit dimly by the ceiling lights of the cover, Gowland looked over his shoulder to me and began to speak. "Looks like you'll be staying here, sweet pea."

…

I think I was blushing as he still held my hand while I stared straight out into the downpour of crying skies.


	5. Worth and Importance

**Title:** Treasure

**Rating: **T

**Summary:** Nick Midnight is a high school girl who's a victim of fierce bullying regarding her appearance and name. On one rainy day she falls into Wonderland and hopes to start a new life. Will she ever find anyone who will accept her for who she is, or will the vicious cycle begin again? Mary Gowland x Original Character

**A/N's:** Sorry that this chapter is so incredibly short! There was supposed to be a dream sequence and an encounter of sorts, but that will have to wait until next week. This past week I was caught up in the FBLA National Leadership Conference and was unable to write, so this is the product of a day and a half's work.

Thanks to everyone for their continued support and reviews, it makes me work so much harder. I was originally just going to delay this chapter until next week, but I made a promise to keep pushing one chapter a week for as long as I can. For the followers and favoriters, this is out now because of you!

Unfortunately because the chapter is so small, I had to change my name for it. The snazzy, punny name will come next week instead.

Chapter Five: Worth and Importance

"So you're the new Outsider, eh?" he asks me as he leads me inside the building and finally releases my hand from his grasp. We walk towards a set of lounging furnishings, decorated differently from the energetic Amusement Park theme in plain beiges and plums, and sat down across from each other.

The room we were in was completely filled to the brink with various types of musical instruments - percussion drums, a baby-blue accented piano, string and band instruments, and all that was in-between. The walls were colored plum as well, except for red brick fireplace that was currently not in operation.

I was brought back to reality and distracted from the hanging string instruments only when a hand graced and glided across my cheek. Shaking my head in surprise, Gowland leaned back in his seat and then turned to look out the window and the fierce storm.

"Yeah, that would be me..." I cross my legs and stare in the same direction as he did, watching the trees harshly billow back and forth to what seemed to be their snapping points. "Passed out on the way from school in a storm like this, and found myself in one of the forests when I woke up."

Gowland turns to look at me, a questioning look on his face. "Usually, when an Outsider comes to Wonderland, they have a wish to leave their world or for great change. Now, Alice was roughhoused and dragged here by the PM Peter White-"

"PM?" I ask, interrupting his speech. I can figure out that he meant Prime Minister, it's a typical abbreviation, but there's a feeling in my gut that he's about to ask a question I really don't want to think about right now.

"Prime Minister."

"Oh." Not skipping a beat, eh? He wasn't even sidetracked either. Well, that didn't work.

"Anyhow, if ya don't mind me askin', what brought you here?" And there's that question that I don't want to face.

Am I here of my own will? I don't remember giving consent to this, but…

What _did_ bring me here? Not a person, Peter, like Alice most definitely. A wish to leave their world is how Outsiders normally come; I had thought about _that_ before, I won't sugarcoat it, but I had never tried to… I had never gotten that far. It's true that I wanted to leave that world… Maybe- did I just die there lying there and this is all a dream? Am I in a hospital bed somewhere, unconscious and recovering?

Am I just thinking about this too much?

"I don't know," I respond, honestly, "I had wanted change, but I think after a while I just wanted to leave…"

Sighing, I continue on, "I think it will be nicer here - aside from the weather-," I sneak in a laugh, "People are more civil, except for one, even if they are a bit forgetful, so I've already decided I'll stay."

My mind drifts back to the incidents that have occurred over the past day and a half: shitty day at school, shitty afternoon at the Hatter's Mansion, alright night at the Clock Tower, bleh morning being kicked out, and sucky mid-day being forgotten in the woods. Things were better once I got to the Amusement Park, however; I guess my name hasn't reached this far yet, or the people are favorable and non-judgmental. They must be - everyone, the workers had said, knows about Gowland's real name, but they all refer to him as what he prefers to be called.

That also could be because he's their boss.

I look back at Gowland, finished watching the trees being abused by the vicious and out-to-kill winds, and see him with his elbows on his knees, face resting on his hands, and staring at me all the while looking saddened.

"Time is distorted here, but not paused. Aren't you worried that someone will go looking for you?"

Even with his tone and genuine concern displayed on his face, I couldn't help myself but laugh until it sounded like I was going to cry in emotional pain about the suggestion. Who would even bother?

"Me? Someone caring about me? Ha, that's impossible. No one from that place will ever care about what happens to me. They all probably will just be glad a nuisance is gone…" I look up at the ceiling, and take a deep breath, "It's not like I'm important anyways."

I close my eyes after speaking my last words as quiet as a mouse, and I hear rustling and movement. After a few seconds of peaceful rest, I feel a heavy weight being draped over my shoulders and I am pulled over to fall sideways on something soft. Curious to see what the weight came from and as to find out what the hell just happened, I open my eyes and am greeted by those obnoxiously loud colors once more. Gowland had moved to my couch and pulled me over to rest on his side; his arm was wrapped around me in a sense of comfort, and he had his head resting back against the top of the couch and was staring at the ceiling just like I had been.

"Of course yer important - you're an Outsider," he says quietly.

I make a noise that sounds like a cross between a cat being strangled and a scoff. "But if I wasn't an Outsider, would anyone have even talked to me in the beginning? If I didn't have a face, would Ace and Alice have helped me? Would Julius have housed me for one night only?"

He didn't answer. He didn't move a muscle.

He sat there and stared at the ceiling, perhaps searching for an answer, perhaps searching for an escape from me and my annoying self.

"Would you have talked to me?"

For a second there, I thought Gowland's neck was going to snap, at the high rate of speed at which he turned his head to look at me. "Of course I would've! I couldn't see shit when I was searchin' for my glasses - I couldn't' tell if ya had a face or not."

I started laughing - and so did he. Making fun of himself and his bad eyesight, Gowland stood up, sunk his glasses down his nose, and flailed his arms out to act like he was blind. He walked a couple of steps before he stubbed one of his toes on the nearby coffee table, and my lungs began to ache from my uproar. After the two of us goofed us for a bit, Gowland turned to me once more and was serious.

"Midnight."

"Yes?"

He paused before continuing, "It doesn't matter where you come from, it's what you do with yourself to get to your destination. If you weren't an Outsider, yes - some people wouldn't bother with you. Even as an Outsider, some won't bother with you."

He mumbled something incoherent about a jester and a warden before he placed his hands upon my shoulders. We met recently - only a few hours ago - but yet there was something captivating about this man. Mary Gowland; he didn't seem fake. What you see is what you get.

He's loud and bright. He's serious and kind. Fun-loving. Reckless.

Charming. Sweethearted.

At least that's what I got from the first impression anyways.

"But you can't let things bother you, sweet pea. What happens, happens, and most of the time you have to live with what life gives you."

He laughs and slams his hands down on my shoulders hard, causing them to sting.

"Now you stay up here in the Park and cheer up! Nothin' like some horseplay to cheer up the children!" He laughs and backs up before turning and running to the backside of the other couch. So this is how it's going to be, huh…

"You douchebag, that hurt! Get back here!"

"Hahahahaha!"

I grab a pillow and start to chase him in circles around the large room. There's a large bed in the corner that he makes a run for to grab his own weapon - but I get there first and steal an extra pillow so both my hands are full. I sit on the bed and bash him as he comes closer, but as I complete the action, the day full of adventure crashes down on me.

Finally realizing how tired I am, I feel the realm of sleep - Nightmare - calling me and lulling me to close my eyes and fall back on the plush bedding. I hope Gowland isn't mad at me for passing out on him…

Before completely losing my touch with reality, I feel Gowland turn me and move my head to rest on a pillow. A blanket is draped over me, keeping me incubated, and the sound of the rain becomes calming and no longer violent. A hand brushes down my hairline.

"Good night, Midnight."

Honesty: the quality or fact of being honorable in principles, intentions, and actions. This is a time I wish I had been more honest. With him, with myself.

For once in my life, I want someone to know who I truly am. To see who I truly am.

"_It doesn't matter where you come from, it's what you do with yourself to get to your destination."_

For once in my life, I want to be called by my real name.


	6. Adventures in the Dreamscape, and Threat

**Title:** Treasure

**Rating: **T

**Summary:** Nick Midnight is a high school girl who's a victim of fierce bullying regarding her appearance and name. On one rainy day she falls into Wonderland and hopes to start a new life. Will she ever find anyone who will accept her for who she is, or will the vicious cycle begin again? Mary Gowland x Original Character

**A/N's:** WARNING!: (semi-)SUPER CHAPTER AHEAD :D

Alright, not really. I'm sorry :E I lied (a teensy bit)

By this time I have actually come up with a laid out plan for 'Treasure'. Before I just had a general direction, but now I think I know what I'm actually aiming for.

Special 'thank-you's to ** , austriantatious, bloodplus103, FallenInk, In The Forest,** **Mrs. Tickle Tehe, Myst400, , Sasuna123, Shadow Fox 2013, SigmaConvoy, SleepyBeaker, Slytherson, **and **stellarroze** for adding 'Treasure' to their story alert list!

Super special awesome 'thank-you's to **bloodplus103, FallenInk, Mrs. Tickle Tehe, , Shingekyo, Se7th Heav N, ShinobiShinigami58, SigmaConvoy,** and **Slytherson** for adding 'Treasure' to their favorites list!

I should be doing these cumulative 'thank-you's every six chapters or so, so hopefully I'll get to do at least three!

Tomorrow is the first day that I'm going to be on a road trip with my family! Yay :D However, the chapters will either be really short or really long for the extension of the trip - three or four weeks. That's because I'll be sitting in the car a whole bunch of hours with not much to do, but I have other ideas I want to work on too. But, 'Treasure' will not be forgotten! Hopefully another fic of mine - 'Love is a Problematic Turnabout' - from a different series won't be either. I actually started that one last year during the trip, but I had never gotten around to writing anything past the first few chapters' drafts.

Anyways, on to Chapter Six!

Chapter Six: Adventures in the Dreamscape, and Threats

"I wonder what happened to'er to make her think like that…" Gowland mumbled to himself as he walked out of his bedroom door and into the joining hallway. "Someone like her shouldn't have t'be so sad."

Hearing light laughter and a hiss come from his left, he turned his head to see a soaking wet, twitching cat and Alice walking in his direction.

"Boris, you're soaked! I told you not to run off like that!"

"Aliccccccccccce, why are you so mean! Just help me find a towel, and maybe a blow-dryer."

The two figures were both wet from being outside in the rain, which has now slowed from tropical storm worthy to a slight drizzle, but Boris was more so than Alice. His hair changed from a cherry pink to a dark red, and Alice now looked like a brunette. Alice's clothes were dripping little droplets of water from her skirt hem, but Boris was not - his leather held in all the water, and as he walked you could hear the _squelch_ from every single movement.

"Hey, you two - can ya quiet down? We have a young girl sleepin' here," said Gowland, annoyed.

Boris's ears twitched, and then he shivered, before replying, "I didn't know you were into _that_, Old Fart."

Alice stood there looking confused, but Gowland's ponytail shot up in irritation.

"You better watch your tongue, Freeloader."

"Gowland," Alice piped up, not noticing the tension that wafted throughout the hallway's air, "Who's staying here?"

At this point, Boris took his squishy, soggy self and trudged over to his room on the opposite side and opposite end of the hallway, leaving Alice and Gowland alone to complete their conversation.

"Her name's Midnight, she's the new Outsider. Have you met he-"

Alice gasped in surprise, and her hands flew to cover her mouth. "We forgot her in the woods!"

"What?"

"Boris and I, and the Twins - we left her in the woods! Oh my! Is she okay?"

Gowland sighed and shook his head. "Calm down, Alice. She's fine - she's as tired as hell though. Passed out a little while back." He offered her a comforting smile, like an uncle to niece.

"I feel horrible… I was so caught up in the moment that I left her there with all of her things spread out on the ground."

"Well, you can apologize to her when she wakes up if it means that much to you. I bet she'd like that - showin' you care."

"You're right, Gowland," Alice trailed off. A soft thumping sound, well, more like a heavy-but-padded stomp, could be heard from down the hallway. The two turned their heads to see a now dry Boris walking fast paced towards them.

"So what're you two talking about that's so damn important?" Boris asks, irritated.

Alice flicked him on the forehead, and Boris made some kind of strangled cat noise while Gowland chucked at his misfortune. "Don't be upset with us - be upset with yourself! You're just as much at fault as I am for leaving Midnight behind."

Boris raised his uncovered eyebrow, "The quiet girl, right? I was a bit startled when I met her - the twins had told me that the new Outsider was male. Sucks we forgot her, nya."

"What?" Alice and Gowland both questioned.

"Huh?"

"You said that the twins had told you she was male…" Gowland scratched his cheek, "Why?"

"I don't know, maybe the Hatter had something to do with it."

It seemed as if Alice had a revelation, as her head snapped up and she spoke immediately, "Blood wasn't the nicest person yesterday. He did say some things, but I don't know why the twins would pick up on that…" she added, "It's not like they pay attention to anything else he says," snarky.

Gowland leaned back against his door as Boris dragged Alice off somewhere - perhaps to find her a room to stay the night in - and sighed, taking in a deep breath afterwards.

"Dupre, you asshole. What have you done this time? Isn't one person enough?"

_|~TREASURE~|_

I open my eyes to find myself laying in a familiar world of greys and blacks. There is a weird tingling sensation in my feet, but I have no idea why. Go to close my eyes once more as I do not see anything out here, but I am interrupted.

"Hey there, little miss!"

"Shut up, Nightmare." I roll over on my side to see the Dream Demon in all of his floating and smoking glory. His skin seemed a tad bit paler than usual, but he also seemed a tad bit more… playful, I guess you could say, than usual.

"Looks like you'll be staying here, sweet pea."

"Shut uuup, Nightmare."

"Of course yer important - you'URK-" Nightmare was cut off by my deathstare and foot, which had kicked him lightly in the side of his stomach.

"That's what you get for being annoying in a close perimeter." I scoff, and furrow my eyebrows at him. I know he can read my thoughts at the current moment, but apparently he can also see into my memories as well…

"Not really, I'm just all-knowledgeable about what you're thinking about at the moment… and you just can't stop thinking about hi- OW THAT HURTS, DAMMIT!"

Yay for makeshift kickboxing. This time I had kicked him in the shins, hard. I didn't want to hit him hard in the stomach since he looked so sickly - I don't want him to end up in a worse condition.

While Nightmare was pretend crying and hopping around on one foot while he tried to massage the tender area, I took the time to stand up and straighten my clothes - a habit of mine in which I brush off the top of my legs and pat the back of them. I know it really doesn't do anything, but it makes me more… comfortable, I guess you could say.

"So you're staying at the Amusement Park now, eh?" Nightmare inquired, now recovered from the pain of the shin-kick. He is no longer floating, feet planted firmly on the unfirm grey Dream Dirt ground, and is back to smoking his pipe like nothing happened in the first place. The fragrance wafts nonchalantly throughout the air, but I wave it away from my face, as I have no intention of smelling whatever the hell Nightmare's smoking.

Not interested.

"Obviously, as you've so seen in my head," I answer him. Actually, I have no idea. Gowland never said I can stay there permanently - this could be another Julius situation. Staying one night and then cut the cord. It would be most unfortunate, and I really don't want to leave. I mean, Gowland's really nice, and he seems honest. Trustworthy. Genuine.

"Oooh, he's so cute and funnnnny and special and amazingggg!~"

"Nightmare, what in the hell are you smoking!? Stop being stupid," I huff, a bit embarrassed. Some of those thoughts never crossed my mind, but are they really there in the back of my conscience? I cross my arms and stare at Nightmare as he turns and lies on his side in mid-air. I tell you, he possesses a mighty special ability. What I would give to be able to do that.

Well, not much, but it would still be really cool. Floating… now I would never roll off the side of the bed.

"Well, you see, it's really a mixture of… some things and some other things, and…" Nightmare trails off.

"So you don't know?"

"Nope, but it's damn good. Try some!" he smiles, like a child who just got a new stuffed animal. Quite cute, actually. Little ones are adorable when they're not yelling, crying, eating, pooping, ok never mind. They're only cute when they're happy, and that's even subjective.

"Hell no. I'm not into that."

"Are you sure you don't want some" He wiggles his eyebrows, in fake seduction, before adding on, "sweet pea?"

"Douche."

I huff and turn around with my arms still folded, childishly, but I don't care. Nightmare's poking at me for getting along with Gowland so well, and I'm not a big fan of it. I know he's just playing - joking - around like a joker-

"Hey, that's offensive!"

What? Nightmare, you're so weird. What's wrong with being a joker?

Anyways, I know he's just messing around, but I'm not a big fan of it. This kind of talk reminds me of how things used to start in the younger grades - when people weren't so harsh - way back when. Do you know those times when someone makes a harmless, hurt-unintended statement, but it still bothers you? It's one of those times right now for me - don't get the wrong idea about me, I'm not _overly_ sensitive. Not that that's a bad thing.

"Nightmare-," I begin to say as I swivel on point to face him and talk again, but I slip and fall backwards. World's Number One balancer over here, ladies and gentlemen.

Nightmare reaches out to grab me with his right arm, and I reach out to grab him with my right hand. Unfortunately, the fast shift in balance on his part as he grabs my arm and the force of my hand hitting but-not-quite-grasping his shoulder sets him up to tumble down with me.

We both end up on the ground side-by-side, although I have no idea how we ended up like that. It should be one of those clichéd romance scenes in which the girl and boy both fall, end up on top of each other, and stare into each other's eyes to realize the deep live bond between them.

"Ewwwww…" he complains.

"Shut up Nightmare, and be thankful that's not how it ended… Unless you wanted it to be like that!~" I joke.

He opens his mouth to speak, but upon the action he begins to cough violently. He sits up rather quickly, and the dry cough turns wet, and oh my god that does not sound healthy. Is that blood he's coughing up?

"Uh… Shit? Shit! Nightmare!"

I scramble up on my knees, and begin to rub his back with my left hand in order to make him relax and un-tense. Frantically, I look around for something to wipe his mouth with and the handkerchief in his waistcoat pocket. I take it, and then first wipe the dribbles going down his chin before catching the droplets threatening to fall from the captured basin in his palms.

He begins to calm - or rather, his lungs begin to calm - after a few minutes past the start of the attack. He stops heaving, and can begin to breathe normally once more. He mutters a "Thank you" before promptly taking the cloth from my hand and finishing the job I had started and then maintained. He stands up, a bit dizzily I presume, and I follow in suit.

"That was the worst one in a while…"

"This happens all the time?"

Nightmare looks at me with a saddened look on his face. Maybe he's not naturally pale; this sickly look is brought about by an illness instead. I frown at him, not out of pity, but from genuine concern.

"Yes, unfortunately. Usually, my best friend and right hand man is there to take care of it. Out there on the outside of the Dream Realm… he's probably by my bedside right now." A faint smile crossed his lips as he stared out into the edge of the Dream Realm's darkness.

"I'm glad you're not alone, Nightmare."

He turned his attention back to me, and smiled once more. "And now neither are you."

I giggled as he then patted my head and messed with my hair.

"What were you begging to say earlier? Before the fall, I mean," Nightmare inquired.

What was I going to say? Oh, I was going to thank him for everything he's gotten for me - the clothes, the replacement books. Who knows what else he's doing behind the scenes to make my Wonderland experience get off to a good start. He obviously can't remove people like Blood, but he can still do a part to help and I'm very grateful.

"I'm glad you liked them, Midnight… or do you want me to call you by your real name?~"

"Shut up, douche! Way to ruin the moment!"

_|~TREASURE~|_

"Blood, are you sure that you want to arrange negotiations with the Amusement Park today?"

"Yes, Elliot. Why wouldn't I?" Blood set his teacup down and stared at the March Hare intently, a tad bit confused, and offended that he was being questioned. "If you do not wish to go with me and the twins, I could give you another _assignment_ to complete instead." The tone in his voice made it obvious that this other 'assignment' was not favorable, and that refusal was almost not optional.

"No, that's alright," Elliot sighed. Something had been off with Elliot for the past few days, making him less friendly than his usual unfriendly self, and making him bitterer towards his coworkers.

"Is there a problem, Elliot? You seem… distracted by something. Is it Wonderland's fabulous little slut or that other bitch that is bothering you?"

"No, Blood. I'm perfectly fine, never better! Nothing's I-I mean, no one's distracting me," Elliot responded mellow and quiet. He could never tell Blood that he disagrees completely with the way he treats the two females, as it would most likely result in the end of his life and his clock not being permanently destroyed as he so wished.

Blood frowned, grabbed his hat and cane, and stood up from the chair at his desk. "You are not fine, Elliot, but I suppose I just don't care anymore." Walking in Elliot's direction, he jabbed the other in the stomach with the bottom of the walking stick.

"We are leaving for the Park now, whether you like it or not. Come."

_|~ TREASURE~|_

As I awaken, there is a strange pressure on my arm. I can feel it moving slowly across the inside of my elbow, and its texture is something like animal fur, but I think it is also a human. Someone's touching me while they think I'm sleeping? That perverted bastard! In response, I do the only thing I know.

A kick to the face should suffice.

"OW, DAMMIT WOMAN!"

"Don't touch me while I'm sleeping!"

"WELL, YOU'RE NOT SLEEPING!"

"Now I'm not, THANK YOU VERY MUCH."

It was too early for this, so I decided to flop back down on the bed and turn in the other direction - away from Boris. Too bad for him, he made a grave mistake - now he has a combat boot print on his face. Hehheh… Wait - my boots!

I look down at my feet and see my boots no longer them. Relieved, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. This was good - the bed would have gotten dirty from the forest and wet-amusement-park tracks if they were still being worn while I was sleeping. However, I don't remember taking the off myself. I remember the strange tingling feeling in my feet before I ran into - fell into - Nightmare in the Dreamscape. Gowland must have taken them off…

Why am I slightly okay with that?

"Hey."

What does he want? Can't he tell that I'm still angry with our previous interaction? That is not how I want to wake up… and why was he touching me anyways? It wasn't like he was trying to wake me up either - he was just feeling up my arm.

"Hey."

A voice that sounds like Nightmare's resonates throughout my head: "Cat babies?". I'll have to ask if that was really him later tonight… this time, I'll flick him in the forehead if I remember.

"I said 'Hey'." This time, Boris sounded angry. Humoring him, I turn back over slowly to face him, but I am stopped half way by a cold metal object being placed on my temple.

What is going on?!

"At least I got to see your face again before I blow your brains out." He's serious about this? What kind of plot twist is this?! I swear, if this life of mine is all a creation of some freak's imagination, I would break the fourth wall and ask them.

**(Oh Nick, you're so funny.)**

"Boris, what the f-"

"BORIS!"

The door swings open violently by a very strong, intimidating man with a very strong, intimidating voice. Boris' tail and ears stand up on end, like a cat that just got splashed with a bucket of water, and he withdraws the offending weapon from my skull.

"I'm leaving, I'm leaving, I'm leaving!" Boris shouts out as he sideways shuffles out the door that Gowland had opened. Alice appears by his side and pulls him down the hallway by his ear - I can hear her yelling at him from a ways down all the way in this grand room.

Angered and visibly upset, Gowland walks in and slams the door in the other way - once open, now once closed. He turns to me and dashes over to the bedside. I sit up completely now, and like last night, he grabs my shoulders and stares at me.

"You're alright…"

He then pulls me into his arms, and I'm speechless.

"_Oooh, he's so cute and funnnnny and special and amazingggg!~"_

Damn that Dream Demon.

I respond to the embrace, awkwardly and nervously placing my arms around him too, before freaking out and just patting him on the back.

"_And now neither are you."_

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Thank you so much, Gowland."

He stands up, and spins away like he's in some kind of a daze and scratches his cheek. His face is red, and I know mine is as well, so to break the silence and the ice I figure it's best if I ask my question now.

"So what was that all about?" I spit out before realizing my phrasing.

Gowland rips around to look at me, and I wave my arms sporadically. "A-about Boris, I-I mean."

Gowland sighs, "No one's said anything to you?"

I tilt my head, questioning what he meant. Of course people have talked to me, but that's not what he was going for there.

"Well, sweet pea, let me tell you about this cracked-up, 'beautiful' Wonderland you've fallen into."


	7. Ride the Merry-Go-Round!

**Title:** Treasure

**Rating: **T

**Summary:** Nick Midnight is a high school girl who's a victim of fierce bullying regarding her appearance and name. On one rainy day she falls into Wonderland and hopes to start a new life. Will she ever find anyone who will accept her for who she is, or will the vicious cycle begin again? Mary Gowland x Original Character

**A/N's:** Hello, my friends! Sorry this is going up so late in the day, I haven't had time to write until early this evening! I was very stressed out that this chapter would be late.

Anyhow, I have an important question for you guys! In the future, Nick is going to be a song writer - but I want your guys' opinions on how to go about it. I am stuck deciding between crediting the real song in the A/N's and saying that Nick wrote them herself (e.g. Soul Sister, by Nick Midnight) or saying that Nick brought them from her world and transcribed them (e.g. Soul Sister by Train, transcribed by Nick Midnight). All songs will be properly addressed and credited, but I just can't decide between the two options. I'm leaning towards Nick creating them herself and the songs not existing in her homeworld - I don't want to make her a cheater/copyright infringer - but I also don't want you guys to be mad at me

Please tell me what you think in a review or PM! Thanks!

Chapter Seven: Ride the Merry-Go-Round!

"What do you mean, 'cracked-up and beautiful Wonderland', Gowland?" I ask. The juxtaposition of those words isn't very convincing - they don't sound right together… How can something be cracked-up and beautiful at the same time? It's like saying people on drugs are beautiful. Don't do drugs, kids! It messes you up on the outside, but more importantly, it kills you on the inside.

Gowland frowns and shakes his head before coming over to the side of the bed and sitting down next to me. I lie back down and look up at him, and then he begins to speak.

"Let me tell you a story, Midnight… It's something you need to hear," he pauses and takes a deep breath, "Don't tell this to Alice either, she doesn't know the full version - she can't know the full version. I can already tell you're much stronger than she is."

He pats my head, awkwardly, smiling all the same before reverting to the concerned visage and starting his tale.

_Long ago, the many current countries of Wonderland were united as one. Under one code and one rule, the world was often related to as 'The Deck', for each of the lands had a specific theme. The southern region had a Castle of Hearts, and the northern region had a Castle of Diamonds. Down in the east, a lord owned a tower that he named the Clover - Club - Tower. Over in the west was a gruesome district called the Spade Arena. _

_Each territory wanted to be independent, but too many problems would occur from separation: first, the all-beloved King would be unable to rule the lands anymore, and second, each territory in itself had areas that wanted to be independent. One thing would lead to another, and the whole of Wonderland would be independent from each other, with various conflicts spurring on all the corners._

_One day, a beautiful girl arrived in Wonderland by accident. No one knew what to do with her, so they took her to the King. No one knew what to call her, so they stamped her as an Outsider. Not that it was discrimination - everyone loved her, fell instantly in love when their eyes laid upon her porcelain face - but they had never experienced a phenomenon such as one coming from the Outside before._

_The kind King cherished her being upon introduced, and the Outsider returned sentiment. The new couple was praised by the lands - the royal wedding was spectacular, and there were no objections from any of the million citizens. No problems ever crossed the pair, until the Collapse happened._

_During the night, a fuse in one of the lower castle floors caused a fire - a fire that could not be contained or put out. The castle raged in the flames, and most tragically, the beloved Outsider and current Queen - with child - did not survive._

_The kind King, struck by the horrid events, became… strange. He survived with great scars on his body and only a single eye, and every day he wore the same funeral suit of midnight black as a cover and as a tribute to his wife and unborn child. Half the time he seemed overly joyed - like nothing had happened - and the other half of the time he was cold and cruel. It was almost as if he became two different people - one hard of heart like a warden, and the other a front for something underneath, like a jester. The changes between his personalities was like from white to black._

_Eventually, the King came to stop caring completely about Wonderland - blaming the citizens, the regions, everything in the world for what had happened to his beloved. He retracted into solitary, confining himself to his castle, and letting Wonderland fall into broken countries of feuding territories._

_His cold heart slowly began to change, mutate. Running on the same course of time and doing the exact same things in the exact same pattern, his heart became a clock. The King became unable to love, and so did Wonderland. Regard for life was non-existent until the next Outsider came along, and thus began the cycle of everyone loving the Outsider once more._

_However, the King would not be involved in this Game. He stripped his lands of everything that remained from his strongest era, and the land became distorted. _

"The rest of the tale has never been discovered, as the original copy was ripped about three-quarters of the way through."

This is what he didn't want me to tell Alice? It's a sad tale, but I don't see how it relates to why Boris just tried to shoot me… Wait - everyone loves an Outsider? Regard for life nonexistent… I don't count as an Outsider, since Alice was here first, so is it because of Alice that people want to kill me?

"Don't fret just yet, 'Night. I ain't done yet with the explanation. That was just a preliminary story that you needed to hear," Gowland interrupted my train of thought.

"I see?" I'm still a bit confused about this whole thing, but I believe I'm getting the main idea.

I shift a bit in the bed, and sit up to lean against the headboard. Wonderland seems so surreal, with its unique conventions and history. Even this set-up feels like a bedtime story.

Looks like I'll just have to see what Gowland has to say.

_~|TREASURE|~_

It's taking me a bit of time to adjust to all the new information about Wonderland that I've just been given: all the citizens have clocks instead of hearts - which explains the importance of Julius's role -, everyone in every territory is at war with others…

In the back of my mind, the Tale of the King is bothering me. The King hates all of Wonderland, and does all of Wonderland hate the King? I noticed Gowland's face twitch whenever he mentioned the King during his retelling of the story.

"Gowland," I pipe up, quietly and solemnly, "Does everyone hate the King?"

He looks shocked at my question, and his glasses slide down his nose comically in astonishment. "Wh-why would you ask that?"

"The Tale of the King wouldn't end like that if the King wasn't still around. Why would anyone but him want to stop people from knowing about the distortion in his area?"

Gowland gulps and I instantly feel like I'm asking too many questions. Damn my curiosity.

"Among the rulers of certain territories, a few of us believe the King still is here and has influence. However, there are those, such as the Hatter and the Queen of Hearts who are obstinate and refuse to believe the speculated person is the old, kind King." Gowland looks away, and gets off the bed to pace around the room.

I get this sinking feeling in my stomach. It's not pity, but instead genuine sorrow. The more I think, the more I think I'm not as strong as Gowland thought. I only realize that I'm sulking - I was so carried away -when Gowland asked if I was alright.

"Sweet pea?"

I shake my head and slap both my cheeks. "Sorry I'm out of it, but I just can't help feeling for the King, you know?"

Gowland twitches a bit, but then seems to get past whatever ill-bred feelings he has for the King and nods in understanding.

"Hey, how 'bout I play you a song to cheer you up?!"

I smile and nod, "Sounds great!"

_~|TREASURE|~_

Does not sound great!

Whatever it is that he's attempting, and horribly failing, to play, I don't think it's healthy for human ears. This instance is like in that one Harry Potter movie in which the 'Melody' was an underwater song that pierced eardrums when played above sea level.

"Gowland, please stop!"

I can tolerate horrible playing in small increments - I do play with newbs in the school orchestra - but this was plain painful. He's playing so loud that he can't even here my complaints, I bet he can't even hear what he sounds like.

I pretend to be old, and I scream "That's not music, that's just noise!", but he still can't hear me anyway.

Thinking, rather trying to think, I decide I have to stop this myself.

I walk over to where he stands and clamp my hand around the neck of his violin. The murder weapon utters one final _screeeeeeeech_ before Gowland stops completely in confusion.

"What? Did you try saying something Midnight?"

I was going to retort something nasty, but my attention was stolen by a glimpse at what the violin he was playing looked like.

"Gowland, what the hell is this?"

"It's a violin!~" he replies cheerfully.

"THIS SHIT IS NOT A VIOLIN! WHERE DID YOU GET THE IDEA?"

"What?! OF COURSE IT'S A VIOLIN! WHAT ELSE WOULD IT BE?"

"Hell, I don't know but this IS NOT a VIOLIN. It's not even the right SHAPE!"

"Hon, let me tell you a few things-"

"Don't tell my how to live my life!"

And then the two of us stopped and stared at each other in silence; and then the two of us started to laugh uncontrollably.

"That was the stupidest conversation I've ever had in my entire life!" I exclaim.

Gowland was laughing so hard that tears were beginning to form in the corner of his eyes. His raucous laughter rang throughout the room, lighting up the darkened corners with happiness. I don't know how he does it, but the Tale of the King is being pushed away and only light feelings are rising inside me.

"Well, you may as well prove me damn wrong, so whadda ya say? Let me take you out for lunch, and then the two of us can go to the Music Store."

His proposition kept me off guard - never have I been invited anywhere by anyone before. I can feel the heat rising in my face as my cheeks begin to blush - _"Let me take you out"_ are words I've heard on television in some crappy romance drama series, but never in real life. This Wonderland, though violent and most definitely 'cracked-up', is indeed beautiful in my eyes.

"Mm, sure," I manage quietly. Never have I been this nervous - I'm not quite sure I know what's going on with me.

Well, that's a lie - I know what's going on, but I don't know how to deal with it.

"Let's be on our way, sweet pea!"

"_Let me take you out"_

Mary…

_~|TREASURE|~_

Honestly, this is not what I was expecting.

Not only does the Amusement Park region have an amusement park, but a shopping square, a gallery of restaurants, a few museums, a selection of hotels closer to the park; all the things of an urban downtown area of a city. There's a ton of people, and the entire area is bursting with excitement. It's remarkable!

"Impressed, sweet pea?" Gowland asks.

"Yes!" I nod my head furiously, "This is amazing! You must make so much money with everything here - no wonder you're a Duke."

Gowland scratched his cheek, "Meh, I do alright," he said, embarrassed.

Here there was more than general stores - glassblowing shops, chocolate shops, and even specialty places. I think I passed a 'Kurosaki Clinic and Herbal Medicines', 'Devlin's Dungeon Dice Game Shop', and a 'Wright Anything Agency' earlier, just to name a few.

"I could see myself living here, but I don't know what I could do…" I mutter to myself. This was a really nice area, and I… want to stay close to Gowland. However, I don't know what kind of job I could get. I don't have people skills, and I'm not a very likable person.

"You can stay as long as you want! Don't worry about a thing!"

I stop walking and turn to look at him. "I appreciate the offer, but I don't want to be a freeloader."

He stopped as well, and put his hand under his chin in a thinking pose. "Well, I guess you can't baptize a cat."

"What does that even mean?"

Gowland blinked a couple times before, "I don't really know…"

We laughed together, and everything seems so natural. Ignoring the way I woke up, today's been a good day - and that's a rare occasion for me. First a hug, then an outing… I have to stop thinking about this before I make it obvious. At least the day is only going to get better.

"Well, well."

Or not.

I could recognize that cynical voice anywhere. Only one person could speak and it leaves that much of a bad aftertaste in your ears. Only one person could make my blood boil after just one encounter. Only one person could be such an asshole.

Here comes Blood Dupre.

Walking towards us with his cane in hand, strolling along like he thinks he's a pimp, Blood Dupre approaches us with a devilish smirk crossing his face.

"Seems like we have some role-reversal over here, ne, Nick and Mary?"

I could sense that Gowland was confused on who the 'Nick' was. I hadn't told him my real name as of yet, so that's not really surprising.

I glared at Blood and growled. "What do you want, Dupre?"

"Nothing from someone like _you_, Nick. I came for the old man."

I huffed and smirked, "I bet you did, Dupre."

Blood made a face and opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut off by Gowland.

"Get outta my property, Hatter. I won't have you infuriating me or my guests, and I don't have time for your whining." Gowland stepped forward and got in front of me, like he was determined to protect me from Blood.

"What a wasted opportunity,_ Mary_. Too bad you don't want to work this out, _Mary._ Why don-"

I took the confidence to interrupt Blood's barrage of bullying. "I think the two of us get your point, Blood. Gowland said to leave, so get the fuck out."

"Hmm? Oh well, I'll let the two of you get private," he said as he turned around to leave, surprisingly, as we asked; well, demanded actually.

"Oh, Nick?"

"What?" I humor him, annoyed.

A Cheshire grin appeared, "Have you ridden the Merry-Go-Round yet?"

That bastard! I knew exactly what he meant; going to a raunchy middle and high school helps you get accustomed to double entendres, slang, and hidden insults. For the fancy way that Blood dresses, he's not very classy at all. But, if he thinks he's going to let something like that get past me, then he has something else coming to him.

"Oh no, not yet," I say, innocently, "I don't think it's something of my age to be doing. However, I think it's just to your tastes and suits you perfect - did you want to give it a try? I bet you're into that kind of stuff."

I don't have anything against gay people - they make the world more colorful. That doesn't mean I won't flip things to make it insulting to someone else, though.

"Hmph," was the only response I got from the Hatter as he slinked away.

After the short-but-not-sweet fiasco, I look up at Gowland, and I notice that he has a look of realization just now crossing his face.

"Oh… " his face was heating up; I guess he figured out what Blood was really trying to say.

"What a jerk, huh?" Gowland didn't answer so I turned to him again, "Gowland?"

"THAT BASTARD, I'M GOING TO KILL HIM! FIRST HE TELLS EV'RYONE ABOUT MY NAME, AND NOW HE PULLS THIS!?"

I lift my hand to pat his back, and I tap him gently. "Now, now, don't let him ruin your day, Gowland. Let's go out and have some fun."

He immediately stops his raging and looks at me, smiling sadly. He takes a strand of my hair and pushes it back behind my ear, and says, "Now why can't you treat yourself like that, sweetheart? Don't go wasting your niceties on some ol' hick like me."

Why would I be nice to myself? There isn't anything that deserves to be treated well. Gowland's too nice… I guess that's what I like about him, among other things.

"Just 'cause you got a country accent don't mean you a hick, Gowlan'," I say, breaking out my own accent. Hey, what can I say? I'm from the south, too.

"Alright, alright," he says between laughs. "Now let's go find that Music Store, eh?

I cover my mouth with my hand to stifle a giggle, "Let's go!"

I can already feel myself changing here in Wonderland - opening up, being more happy. Hell, even Blood didn't bother me that much today. I've only been here for a little while, but I believe that I can already call this place home.


End file.
